Fear rumbles deep within the halls of the great temple of Bandirma....Brought together by bonds of friendship, love and duty, the Temple's guardians journey into the ice-covered hinterlands to investigate disquieting omens of an ancient foe. Desecrated temples, ruined farms and butchered innocents presage an evil the Temple believed destroyed in a cataclysm centuries ago.Thus begins the epic saga of Wyn, a thief escaping her past, Killock, a threadbare knight, Danielle, a bewitching marquessa, and Bradon, a courageous and compassionate lord, as they fight for survival in the frozen land of Albyn. Their struggle to overcome evil engulfs the country from ancient halls to barren mountains and treacherous ruins; from a newly-crowned queen to an imprisoned child, and from a jealous priest to an eccentric wizard. No one escapes the plots, betrayals, triumphs, tragedies, desires, and despair that encompass them.As they fight to preserve life, and death, their fate is tied to a weapon of myth, the great Blade that felled the Nameless King a millennium ago. Who will wield the Martyr's Blade and how many lives will it claim, this time? In The Martyr's Blade, the first volume in the Chronicles of the Martyr, Joel Manners intricately creates a fantastical world ruled by ice and snow, tradition and belief, love and betrayal, magic and might. His characters linger in the mind long after you've closed the book. A compelling adventure story filled with humor and humanity, each narrator sheds new light on the unfolding, impending devastation with a fresh voice and unique perspective.

Deadly feuds and ancient secrets spell war in the second novel of The Covenant of Steel, an epic series of action, intrigue, and magic from Anthony Ryan, a master storyteller who has taken the fantasy world by storm. "Ryan again showcases his gift for epic fantasy in his excellent sequel to The Pariah . . . . Ryan's evocative prose enhances the suspenseful, intricate story . . . .This fires on all cylinders." —Publishers Weekly (starred review) Times have changed for Alwyn Scribe. Once an outlaw, he’s now a spymaster and sworn protector of Lady Evadine Courlain, whose visions of a demonic apocalypse have earned her the fanatical devotion of the faithful. Yet Evadine’s growing fame has put her at odds with both Crown and Covenant. As trouble brews in the kingdom, both seek to exploit her position for their own ends. Sent to the Duchy of Alundia to put down a rebellion, Alwyn must rely on old instincts to fight for his new cause. Deadly feuds and ancient secrets are laid bare as war erupts, a war that will decide the fate of the Kingdom of Albermaine and, perhaps, prevent the coming of the prophesied Second Scourge. "A gritty, heart-pounding tale of betrayal and bloody vengeance. I loved every single word." — John Gwynne on The Pariah For more from Anthony Ryan, check out: The Covenant of Steel The Pariah The Martyr Raven's Shadow Trilogy Blood Song Tower Lord Queen of Fire Raven's Blade Duology The Wolf's Call The Black Song The Draconis Memoria Trilogy The Waking Fire The Legion of Flame The Empire of Ashes

Álex de la Iglesia, initially championed by Pedro Almodóvar, and at one time the enfant terrible of Spanish film, still makes film critics nervous. The director of some of the most important films of the Post-Franco era – Acción mutante, El día de la bestia, Muertos de risa – receives here the first full length study of his work. Breaking away from the pious tradition of acclaiming art-house auteurs, The cinema of Álex de la Iglesia tackles a new sort of beast: the popular auteur, who brings the provocation of the avant-garde to popular genres such as horror and comedy. This book brings together Anglo-American film theory, an exploration of the legal and economic history of Spanish audio-visual culture, a comprehensive knowledge of Spanish cultural forms and traditions (esperpento, sainete costumbrista) with a detailed textual analysis of all of Álex de la Iglesia’s seven feature films.